Occupant propelled roundabout



Feb. 20, 1951 F. c. WILSON ET AL 2,542,745

OCCUPANT PROPELLED ROUNDABOUT Filed July 13, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 20, 1951 F. c. WILSON El AL OCCUPANT PROPELLED ROUNDABOUT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1948 mum l I l FOSTER 6. CHARM-'6 a /VA our/4 /v Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED OFFICE OCCUPANT PROPELLED ROUNDABOUT Foster 0. Wilson, Baltimore, Md., and Charles C. Napolitan, Johnstown, Pa.

Application July 13, 1948, Serial No. 38,528

This invention relates to a game apparatus of the type known as a roundabout and it is one object of the invention to provide a device of this character wherein a spinner of improved construction is rotatably mounted about a post rising from a base, the spinner having seatcarrying arms extending from a hub or sleeve and braced against downward strains to which they are subjected by the weight of persons occupying seats at outer ends of the arms.

Another object of the invention is to provide arms and braces which are formed of bars or strips of angle metal and are, therefore, of light weight but very strong.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roundabout formed of companion elements which are bolted together, thus allowing the device to be shipped or stored in knocked-down condition and easily assembled for use.

Another object of the invention is to so form the base from which the post extends that the post will be firmly supported and prevented from tilting out of an upright position during use of the roundabout.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for imparting turning movement to the spinner about the post, the said operating means including a lever pivoted to one of the arms of the spinner in such position that it may be readily grasped by a person occupying the seat at the outer end of this arm.

. With these and other objects in view the invention consists of an improved construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved roundabout.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view upon an enlarged scale" taken vertically along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the arm carrying the operating lever partially in elevation and partially in section.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the outer end portion of an arm and a seat carried thereby in side elevation.

Fig. 6 is a view showing theseat and the outer end portion of the arm in section.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the post and a lever carried thereby.

This improved roundabout has a post I sup orted in an upright position by a base indicated in general by the numeral 2. This base includes legs t-which are formed of angle metal and are of elon- 4 Claims. (Cl. 272-33) gated triangular shape when viewed in side elevation and at their outer ends are provided with feet 3' formed of heavy metal. Since the blocks forming the feet 3 extend downwardly below the lower edges of the legs 3, the legs will be held out of contact with the ground upon which the feet rest and the feet may have good biting engagement with the ground to prevent slipping of the base along the ground out of a predetermined position. A sleeve 4 fits snugly about the lower portion of the post I and is surrounded by an outer sleeve or collar 5, and upon referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the collar 5 is formed with openings 6 which register with threaded openings 1 formed in the sleeve 4 so that screws 8 which are passed through the inner ends of the legs 3 may be screwed into the openings I and firmly secure the legs to the collar 5 in radiating relation thereto; The upper end of the collar projects above the sleeve 4 and is formed with a recess 9 constituting a seat for a thrust bearing Ill which surrounds the post I. Since the screws pass through the aligned openings of the collar 5 and the sleeve 4, their inner ends will have abutting engagement with the post I and serve as set screws to firmly hold the post against vertical or turning movement.

The spinner has at its center a vertical sleeve l l which is of appreciably greater diameter than the post I and fits loosely about the post. A bushing i2 fits tightly within the lower end of the sleeve l l and its lower end is radially enlarged to form a cup it into which fits the upper disk of the thrust bearing 10. Therefore, the

sleeve or hub H of the spinner may turn freely about the post. In the upper end of the sleeve I l is a bushing l2. A rectangular plate I4 is Welded flat upon the upper end of the hub H and at its center is formed with a circular opening [5 through which projects the upper end portion of the post I, the upper end of the post being reduced in diameter and squared to form a neck It for receiving a ratchet member I! loosely mounted through the inner end of a lever 18. Since the neck I 6 passes through a squared opening in the ratchet member l1, turning of the ratchet member about the post will be prevented and as the lever is provided with a spring pressed pawl is for engaging teeth of the ratchet mem ber the lever may be moved about the ratchet member I! and the post in step-by-ste movements in one direction and held against swinging movement in the opposite direction. A cap 2% which fits upon the upper end of the neck It member and the lever uponthe neck.

Arms 22 extend from the hub I l radially thereof and each has side bars 23 connected at their outer ends by a bridge portion 24. Angle metal is used for forming the arms and since flanges of the angle metal strips extend downwardly along outer side edges of their side bars 23 and bridge portions 24, the arms will be braced against crumpling. Near their outer ends the bars 23 are bent downwardly and then outwardly to form down wardly offset saddle portions 25 to which seats 26 are secured by bolts 21. The side bars 23 spread towards their inner ends so that inner ends of the arms 22 are of only slightly lesswidth; than the length of a side edge of the plate I4 and end portions of their depending sideflanges are cut off so that inner ends of the side bars may be disposed in overlapping engagement with; the: plate and firmly secured thereon by bolts 28 as shown in Figure 3.

Bracing bars 29 are mounted across the side bars idiat-the'junction of inner: ends of the saddles 25' with the downwardly extending portions Sfl of the side bars and'have their ends welded or otherwise firmly secured. To these cross bars 29 are applied bracing bars 3! which are'also formed of angle metal and havetheir outer ends secured to: the cross bars by bolts 32 and their inner'ends secured by screws 33 which pass through the lower end of the sleeve or hub I I and into threaded openings for-med in the bushing I2. The braces 31 extend. diagonally at an upward inc'line towards their'outer ends'and very effectively prevent the arms 22 being bent downwardly by the weight of occupants of the seats 25'. Diagona lly extendingbraces 34 are mounted between inner end portions of the arms 22 and prevent the arms from having side play upon the plate M. Foot rests 35 are mounted across the bracing bars 31 insuch spaced relation to their outer ends that occupants of the seats may conveniently rest their feet upon them, and there have also been provided handle bars 38 which extend across the arms and are secured to the side bars 23 there--' of by bolts 3'5. lhe handle bar carried by one arm 22 is cut oil and in advance of'this handle bar is a lever 3B'which extends transversely across the arm-and has its inner end pivotally connected with one side bar 23 thereof by a bolt 39' and its outer end provided with a hand hold'40. A strip 41 carried by the arm and extending longitudinally thereof and across-the lever 38 guides movement of the lever and a pitman rod 42 connects the outer end of lever 58 with the operating lever 38 inwardly of the hand hold t8; This is shown in Fig. l and upon referring to this figure, it will be seen that when the hand hold is grasped by a person occupying the seat 26 f the arm to which the lever 38 is mounted and oscillating movement applied to the lever, similar movement will be transmitted to the lever i8 and the lever [8' moved about 1 the ratchet" member.

During pull upon the operating lever 33 the spinner will be rotated about the post andby rapidly moving this lever thespeed at which the spinner turns may be increased until it has a continuous turning movement about the post I.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved device, the operation there'- of" and the method of assembly'will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have:provided a comparatively simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the various objects of theinvention.

While I have. particularly described. the elementsb'est adapted to perform the functionsset forth, it is apparent that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A roundabout comprising a base including a sleeve and le s radiating from the sleeve, a bushing in said sleeve, screws passing through inner ends of the legs and into threaded openings formed in the bushing, a post mounted vertically'through said bushing and gripped by inner ends of said screws, a thrust bearing surrounding thepost andseated in a recess formed about the upper end of said sleeve, and a spinner including aztubular-hub fitting loosely about said post, a bushing in the lower end portion of said hub having 'at itslower end a cup fitting about the thrust bearing and confining the same in its seat, arms extending'radially from said hub, Seats carried by 'said arms; and-means actuated by an occupant of? a1 seat'for turning the spinner about the post.

2. In a roundabout, a vertical post, and. a spinner comprisinga' tubular hub loosely mounted aboutsaid post, a head plate at the upper end ofsaid hub, arms extending radially of the post and each having transversely spaced side bars connectedat their outer ends by a bridge and having their inner ends secured to the head plate, said sidezbarsbeing bent in spaced relation to their outer ends to form portions extending.

downwardlyatianoutward incline and a horizon-' tal saddle projecting outwardly from lower ends thereof, seats upon said saddles, handle bars mountedacross'saidarms inwardly of the down-' ward-1y bent portions of' their side bars, bracing barssecured at inner ends to the lower end portion of said hub and extendingoutwardly at an upward incline and having their outer ends secured to crossbars extending'transversely of the arms and secured to side bars thereof at the junction of the saddles with lower ends of the downwardly bent portions of the side bars, foot I rests mounted across the bracing bars, and mechanism for turning the spinner about said post, including an operating element carried by one arm" in position for actuation by an occupant of the seat at'the'outer end of'thesaid'arm.

3; On a roundabout, a vertical post, and a spinner comprisinga tubular 'hub'loosely 'mountedi about said post, azhea'd plate at the upper end of said' hub, arms extending'radially of the post and each; having side bars connected at their outer ends and having: their inner ends'secur'ed to the head plate, said side bars being formed of angle metal having downwardly extending: sideflanges and being bent in-spaced relation to their outer ends to form downwardly extending portions and a saddle projecting outwardly therefrom, seats upon said saddles, handle bars mo.unt'-= ed-across said armsinwardly of the downwardly bentportions-of their side bars, bracing bars se'- curedat inner ends-to the lower end portion of said hub-andextending outwardly at anupward incline and havingv their outer ends secured, to, cross bars extending transversely ofthe armsand:

secured tosidebars thereof at the junction of inner ends of the saddles with the downwardly bent portions. of the side bars, foot rests mounted across the bracing bars, a ratchet member. rigid upon the post above the head plate, a lever loose, about. the. ratchet member and having a pawl engaging. teeth of said ratchet member,

an, operating lever pivoted. to a, sidebar of. one

arm and extending across the said arm and projecting from the opposite side bar thereof, a strip mounted longitudinally of the last mentioned side bar and overlying the operating lever to guide swinging movement thereof, and a reach rod pivoted at one end to the outer end of the first lever and having its other end pivoted to the operating lever.

4.111 a roundabout, a vertical post, and a spinner including a hub freely rotatable about said post, arms extending from said hub radially thereof and braced against downward tilting, seats at outer ends of said arms, said post projecting upwardly from said hub and having its upper end portion reduced and squared to form a neck, a ratchet member mounted about the neck said neck having a threaded socket leading from its upper end, and having upper and lower flanges about its periphery and teeth between the flanges, a cap upon the upper end of the neck having its lower end resting upon the ratchet member, a screw passing through the cap and REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 947,954 Tuttle Feb. 1, 1910 1,368,132 Gavlak Feb. 8, 1921 1,476,832 Peck Dec. 11, 1923 

